The story—that Sarah was driving, with Misty riding shotgun and Theo in the backseat—will not be questioned. Not this night, not ever. It will become the deepest kind of family secret, one so dangerous that it will never be spoken.
-- Narrator (August 27, 1985 (Sarah and Theo))

Importance: This quote comes at the very beginning of the novel, as Sarah scrambles to protect Theo, who was driving without a license on the night that they get into the car accident that kills Misty. The notion of a dark and deep family secret whose roots poison each member of the family over time is born here. Sarah opts to protect Theo by saying she was behind the wheel, which will never be questioned by anyone. Both siblings feel immense guilt as a result of what happened -- Theo for being behind the wheel at all, Sarah for giving the keys to Theo when she knew he was...